"This bikini photo made me die inside, until I remembered this"

How an unfiltered natural photo taken by a mate, brought up some major self-esteem issues.

@ellieparker

I’ve always been a strong campaigner for women to love their bodies. So when I saw a photo my friend took of me in a bikini the other day, I died on the inside. All I could see were flabby thighs, large hips and a stomach that needed to go.

My self-esteem was shattered, which is something that has been pretty shaky the past six years as a result of eight knee surgeries which have caused my weight to fluctuate ridiculously.

Ever since I was little, I’ve been bombarded with ideas and imagery of what my body should look like. “Not tall enough, too tall. Not skinny enough, too skinny. Smile more, stop smiling so much. You’re too quiet, too loud. Be more assertive, you’re such a b*tch.”

It is common knowledge that the internet is forcing girls to compare their bodies to those of their peers from an alarmingly early age, and that the messages we are sent growing up are extremely conflicting and seriously detrimental to any young girl’s self confidence.

So how come that after decades of comparing ourselves to comrades and celebrities, our society hasn’t embraced self-love by now?

And yet, here I was, fixating and fussing over this bikini photo, with nothing but negative thoughts and feelings flooding in. That is, until I reminded myself that I’m a fiercely independent woman who shouldn’t be comparing herself to anyone or anything else.

It’s taken years (and writing this article) to realise - my body was never the problem. It was ALL in my mind. I’m a healthy, happy young woman who loves nothing more than tucking into a massive salad (or cake!) and regard myself as having an average body. And you know what? I bloody love my body.

Body image has always been topical in the media, but the dialogue has only ever been from one extreme to another. For me personally, real body positivity hasn’t been celebrated until a couple of weeks ago, when I was scrolling through Instagram and stumbled upon the @any.body_co page.

Run by two model best friends, Georgia Gibbs and Sam Hawk, they’re your everyday pair of best friends – sharing the same gorgeous taste in fashion and a real positive outlook on life. The only difference? Georgia is a size 8, and Sam a size 16. This should never have bothered anyone, but when Georgia uploaded a photo of the pair of them on her own personal Instagram, people accused her of photoshopping her best friend to make her appear bigger.

WHAT?! People couldn’t accept the fact that two girls who weren’t the same size or shape could be best friends. This horrible stigma we have attached to different shaped women is unacceptable, and Georgia and Sam agreed too. That is where @any.body_co was born, and it reads in the bio “We are AnyBODY! Aussie models & best friends that believe there’s no size standard for the modern woman.” This alone gives me so much hope for the future.

After starting the account less than a month ago, it’s gained over 110,000 followers on Instagram and garnered more media attention than most could dream of in a lifetime. The besties post photos of themselves together, motivational quotes and thought-inspiring photos and statements that clearly resonate with thousands of women all over the country – as it did with yours truly.

The big question is, will the stigma attached to women who don’t have the ‘perfect’ body ever really disappear? We can only hope so. But in the mean time, I’ll be posting my thighs, hips, booty and BODY CONFIDENCE on Instagram for everyone to see, as I endeavour to pave the way to a brighter, more inclusive future for internet generations to come.

Find out more about Elle at livewithelle.com or follow her on Instagram @livewithelle.